After losing the toss and being forced to bat in overcast conditions at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, nothing went right for CSK as everything seemed to favour RR. CSK were bowled out for 127 in 19.4 overs, failing to bat through the full 20 overs.
It all began in the very first over when Burger struck, dismissing the in-form Sanju Samson. What followed was a collapse, with wickets falling regularly. With Archer and Sandeep joining the wicket-taking spree, CSK were reduced to 41/4 in the powerplay. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, under pressure in the absence of MS Dhoni, couldn't make an impact and managed just 6 runs off 11 balls. Ayush and Short showed some promise, but it wasn't enough for CSK to recover.
Ravindra Jadeja, facing his former team, looked in a revenge mode as he dismissed Sarfaraz and then Shivam Dube, who had tried to attack him with a six off the very first ball.
The 19-year-old debutant Kartik Sharma showed some intent with 18 runs off 15 balls, including a six. However, it was another debutant who made headlines for Rajasthan Royals Jammu & Kashmir's Brijesh Sharma, who dismissed Kartik, making it a debut vs debut moment. This is what the IPL is all about
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-(--header-height)" dir="auto" data-turn-id="23e295ef-41a2-496d-95cc-f0b1c6bfd9d4" data-testid="conversation-turn-1" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn="user">*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id="request-WEB:80f473c8-aa94-42de-85aa-d702d58e93e2-39" data-testid="conversation-turn-2" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn="assistant">There was no partnership that gave hope; only the last-wicket stand between Ansul and Overturn added some resistance, putting together 33 runs. Overturn was the highest scorer for CSK, making 43 off 36 balls, including 2 fours and 2 sixes. It was all about Overturn, who kept CSK alive heading into the second half. 43 runs by Jamie Overton is the highest score for CSK while batting at No.8 or below in an IPL match. The previous highest was 37* by MS Dhoni vs DC at Vizag in 2024.
All the bowlers who bowled today for Rajasthan picked up wickets, with Burger, Archer, and Jadeja taking two each. Overton fights alone, and as the highest run-getter for CSK today, it shows what a tough day it has been for them in their opening IPL match.
It was a top tactical display from RR skipper Riyan Parag, who used the conditions brilliantly and made timely bowling changes.It's now Vaibhav and Jaiswal to show something for RR in Guwahati, or can CSK pull off some magic from here?